An underwater landscape dotted with circular shapes – a fish swims above each one. When the researchers on the “Polarstern”, the flagship of the Bremen Alfred Wegner Institute, explored the seabed in Antarctica in February 2021, they didn’t expect what the camera showed them. At a depth of about 500 meters you can see countless ice fish sitting on their nests. The researchers are investigating the area more closely and have now published their findings in the journal Current Biology. There could be around 60 million fish nests near the Filchner Ice Shelf in the Antarctic Wendel Sea. For 20 hours, the researchers film the landscape of the seabed, which is littered with fish. They count more than 12,000 nests – with sonar and sensors they detect several hundred thousand. All assumed size is based on later calculations. Icefish are about half a meter tall. They lay their eggs on piles of rocks to protect them. Then they guard their nests from intruders. The researchers also found many fish carcasses between the clutches. This suggests that some of the parents starve to death while caring for the brood. But the fish are also an important source of food for other marine animals. Using transmitters, scientists were able to prove that weddel seals hunt particularly frequently in this area. The discovery of the researchers describes the largest ever documented fish breeding area in the world. It shows how important the protection of Antarctic waters is for our ecosystem.
Source: Current Biology, daily News
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